Scottish Executive

Air Services

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much (a) has been committed to date and (b) will be made available to Glasgow Airport from the route development fund and how many new routes have been secured for Glasgow Airport as a result of Executive action and/or the use of route development fund money.

Nicol Stephen: To date, no routes to or from Glasgow Airport have been subject to investment from the Interim Route Development Fund. New routes from Glasgow would be eligible, provided they meet the same Scotland-wide criteria that apply to the fund. The fund cannot be used to distort the market, or override commercial decisions of airlines. Glasgow Airport has been, and will continue to be, actively promoted through engagement with airlines.

Arts

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote, support and publish the work of new Scottish writers.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Literature Department of Scottish Arts Council has a budget of £2.1 million which currently supports 10 national literature organisations, direct support to writers and storytellers in the form of bursaries, book awards and writing fellowships; grants to Scottish-based publishers and magazine publishers for commissioning costs, production costs and marketing and promotion; a range of projects and initiatives which support and develop readership throughout Scotland in association with other agencies such as Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland; a national network of literature festivals and live literature events; support to publishers overseas with the translation costs of contemporary Scottish literature, and international literary fellowships and exchange programmes. Additional funding through the Writers Factory provides training in screenwriting and new series from publishers and commissioning grants for literary magazines editors.

Arts

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that each local authority makes the work of new Scottish writers available in public libraries.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Scottish Publishers Association (SPA), core-funded by Scottish Arts Council (SAC), is developing initiatives to improve availability of data on indigenous publishing output to the public library network. The SAC has also funded the post of National Readership Development Co-ordinator in partnership with Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland (CILIPS) which has provided training to librarians in raising awareness of Scottish literature. Various readership campaigns in partnership with public libraries have taken place over the years, most recently the Read Around Books project via the Scottish Book Trust.

Arts

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage local authorities to bulk-buy the work of new Scottish writers.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Review of Scottish Publishing in the 21st Century by PricewaterHouseCoopers and Napier University, commissioned by Scottish Arts Council and currently nearing completion, is expected to make recommendations on this issue.

Arts

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken by Historic Scotland to acquire and sell the works of new Scottish writers in its shops.

Mr Frank McAveety: I have asked Graeme Munro, Chief Executive of Historic Scotland to reply. His response is as follows:

  The books on sale in shops at Historic Scotland properties are carefully selected to appeal to visitors. A wide range is carried, mostly about Scotland and its history, but including fiction by contemporary authors.

Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Bill

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing legislation similar to the Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Bill in Westminster.

Mr Frank McAveety: Scottish ministers have taken the view that, given the marked differences between Scottish and English law in the relevant areas, a Scottish legal solution must be developed through the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Executive is currently examining the Westminster bill to see what would be required to secure similar protection in Scotland.

Further and Higher Education

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage overseas students to study in Scotland.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Prime Minister's Initiative (PMI), launched in June 1999, aims to attract more overseas students to the UK. The Scottish Executive is involved with the funding and development of this strategy in partnership with other devolved administrations, UK government departments, British Council and Trade Partners UK. Measures to enhance overseas student recruitment as part of the PMI include a three-year branded global marketing campaign, expansion of the Chevening scholarship scheme and streamlining work and visa regulations. A Scottish version of the brand logo and marketing materials have been developed as part of the PMI strategy for use by Scottish institutions and EducationUKScotland on their own promotional materials.

  In addition, EducationUKScotland (formerly Scottish Education and Training) is an initiative supported and funded primarily by the education sectors and also by British Council Scotland. The Scottish Executive has agreed to provide £50,000 per annum to support the activities of the organisation in 2003-04 and 2004-05. In return for that investment, we expect the organisation to take forward some of the recommendations related to overseas students contained in the Framework for Higher Education in Scotland, in partnership with the sectors and other stakeholders. EducationUKScotland’s primary objective is to promote Scottish education effectively in overseas markets with the aim of attracting more overseas students to Scottish institutions in all sectors.

  In addition to the activities outlined above, the Executive is also looking more broadly at ways of attracting and retaining fresh talent for Scotland’s longer term prosperity.

Further and Higher Education

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Home Office regarding the new charges to overseas students seeking to extend their stay in the United Kingdom, which come into force from November 2003.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Home Office on matters related to UK immigration policy, including the recent introduction of charges for applications to extend leave to remain in the UK.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase NHS provision by independent contractors such as GPs and pharmacists.

Malcolm Chisholm: The new General Medical Services (GMS) contract will help to increase NHS provision by GPs. The contract offers incentives for GP practices to provide a wider range of services than at present and also introduces a quality and outcomes framework, which for the first time will measure and help improve the quality of clinical care and services patients receive. The contract will be supported by an increase in investment in GMS across Scotland of 33%.

  Discussions on the new contract for community pharmacy contractors are currently on-going with the Scottish Pharmaceutical General Council and decisions on the content and range of services to be provided have yet to be made. However, we will be consolidating and building on the range of professional skills and services that community pharmacists already provide for patients. The opportunity will also be taken to ensure that the new GMS contract and the new community pharmacy complement each other, to improve overall patient care.

Housing

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2344 by Ms Margaret Curran on 17 September 2003, how many of the 5,040 new homes to be approved in 2003-04 will be built by (a) housing associations for general needs rent, (b) housing associations for particular needs rent, (c) other suppliers for general needs rent, (d) other suppliers for particular needs rent, (e) housing associations for low-cost home ownership, (f) private developers, (g) individuals and (h) any other relevant group, specifying the type of build used.

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Communities Scotland planned provision of new homes by category in 2003-04 is as follows.

  Communities Scotland - Planned Provision of New Homes by Category (2003-04)

  


Housing Association Rent - General Needs 
  

3,090 
  



Housing Association Rent - Particular Needs 
  

1,157 
  



Other Suppliers Rent - General Needs 
  

8 
  



Other Suppliers Rent - Particular Needs 
  

66 
  



Housing Association - Low Cost Home Ownership 
  

85 
  



Private Developers 
  

502 
  



Individuals 
  

132 
  



Total 
  

5,040

Housing

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the question S2W-2345 by Ms Margaret Curran on 17 September 2003, what the breakdown by individual programme of the Scottish Home and Communities Scotland core development programme budget has been for each year from 2000-01 to 2003-04.

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Communities Scotland core Development Programme by expenditure category from 2000-01 to 2003-04 is as follows.

  Communities Scotland Core Development Programme by Expenditure Category (2000-01 to 2003-04)

  


 


2000-01
(£ Million) 
  

2001-02
(£ Million) 
  

2002-03
(£ Million) 
  

2003-04*
(£ Million) 
  



Housing Association Rent - General Needs 
  

125.503 
  

136.251 
  

136.965 
  

150.512 
  



Housing Association Rent - Particular Needs 
  

50.034 
  

50.892 
  

47.849 
  

50.646 
  



Other Suppliers Rent - General Needs 
  

0.194 
  

0.100 
  

0.166 
  

0.146 
  



Other Suppliers Rent - Particular Needs 
  

1.077 
  

2.959 
  

1.653 
  

2.568 
  



Housing Association - Low Cost Home Ownership 
  

5.533 
  

6.285 
  

6.426 
  

3.643 
  



Private Developers 
  

16.472 
  

7.450 
  

5.575 
  

7.706 
  



Individuals 
  

0.962 
  

1.186 
  

1.433 
  

4.255 
  



Social and Environmental Grants 
  

7.739 
  

10.370 
  

8.587 
  

8.273 
  



Revenue 
  

8.310 
  

8.454 
  

8.838 
  

1.758 
  



Total 
  

215.824 
  

223.947 
  

217.492 
  

229.508 
  



  *Planned

Housing

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new homes were (a) approved from and (b) completed with Communities Scotland development funding in 2001-02 and 2002-03 and how many such homes were built by (i) housing associations for general needs rent, (ii) housing associations for particular needs rent, (iii) other suppliers for general needs rent, (iv) other suppliers for particular needs rent, (v) housing associations for low-cost home ownership, (vi) private developers, (vii) individuals and (viii) and any other relevant group, specifying the type of build used.

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Communities Scotland Core Development Programme new build unit approvals and completions by category in the period 2001-02 to 2002-03 is as follows.

  Communities Scotland Core Development Programme New Build Unit Approvals and Completions by Category (2001-02 to 2002-03)

  





Approvals 
  

Completions 
  



2001-02 
  

2002-03 
  

2001-02 
  

2002-03 
  



Housing Association Rent - General Needs 
  

3,399 
  

2,614 
  

2,917 
  

2,422 
  



Housing Association Rent - Particular Needs 
  

1,080 
  

1,002 
  

1,169 
  

1,003 
  



Other Suppliers Rent - General Needs 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Other Suppliers Rent - Particular Needs 
  

100 
  

78 
  

53 
  

156 
  



Housing Association - Low Cost Home Ownership 
  

312 
  

76 
  

197 
  

204 
  



Private Developers 
  

0 
  

460 
  

1201 
  

794 
  



Individuals 
  

54 
  

46 
  

52 
  

37 
  



Total 
  

4,945 
  

4,276 
  

5,589 
  

4,616

Ministerial Correspondence

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Environment and Rural Development will reply to my letter of 14 August 2003 regarding my constituent Mr D Gotts of Boyndlie.

Ross Finnie: I replied to the member on 12 September 2003.

Organ Donation

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government regarding the interpretation of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Regulations 2002 regarding organ donor forms being sent out with electoral registration forms.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive supports efforts to promote the donation of organs for transplantation, and I have had a number of representations on this subject. Issues relating to electoral registration are however reserved. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Her Majesty’s Government on a range of issues, including electoral registration matters.

Organ Donation

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to promote and support organ donation through organ donor cards, in particular through the NHS UK Transplant’s Vote for Life scheme, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Malcolm Chisholm: Encouraging people to carry organ donor cards and to add their names to the NHS Organ Donor Register maintained by UK Transplant has always been the main focus of the Executive’s organ donation publicity initiatives.

  In relation to the Vote for Life scheme, I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-2720 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Residential Care

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce offending by looked after children in residential care units.

Peter Peacock: The Executive has provided the framework and resources to allow local authorities to identify and address the nature and pattern of any offending by young people identified in their areas.

Residential Care

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to protect workers and children in residential care units who are being offended against by looked after children.

Peter Peacock: The responsibility for the safety and protection of staff and children rests with employers. This is monitored by the Health and Safety Executive. However, the Scottish Executive is funding a national initiative managed by the Association of Directors of Social Work to support front-line staff. Although not specifically targeted at residential child care staff, this initiative will be of benefit to them.

Residential Care

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what proportion of, staff in residential care units possess the relevant qualifications for working in such units.

Peter Peacock: At present there is no prescribed qualification for these staff. However, from 2005 staff will have to hold specific qualifications determined by the Scottish Social Services Council.

Residential Care

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what proportion of, staff in residential care units hold a diploma in social work or equivalent qualification.

Peter Peacock: The most recent figures available were compiled by the Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care and relate to the position in 2001. They indicate that at least 305 staff (10.3%) hold the Diploma in Social Work; at least four staff (0.1%) hold the Scottish Vocational Qualification in Care at Level 4 and at least 247 staff (8.3%) hold the Scottish Vocational Qualification in Care at Level 3 and the Higher National Certificate in Social Care.

  These figures exclude numbers of staff who were in the process of gaining qualifications when the audit was conducted, and so are likely to be an underestimate of qualifications held by the current workforce.

Residential Care

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to recruit and retain social work staff so that persistent young offenders are cared for and supervised adequately in residential care units.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive is taking significant steps to support employers to recruit and retain social work staff. This includes a national recruitment and awareness campaign, financial incentives for training and the commitment to fund the Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care until the end of 2009. Financial incentives include a fast-track scheme to fund the training of 120 graduates, provision of a total of £1.2 million for post-graduate bursaries to enable an immediate increase in the number of social work students and an incentive scheme allowing authorities to pay up to £9,000 to undergraduates completing their training from June 2004.

Roads

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Galas and Events on the Trunk Road Network: Draft Guidance to Organisers is being implemented in Dumfries and Galloway only and, if so, what the reasons are for this position.

Nicol Stephen: The draft guidance was developed in partnership with Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary and Dumfries and Galloway Council and has consequently been implemented in that area only. The Scottish Executive is consulting the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, the Society for Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland and local event organisers about the terms of the draft guidance.

Young Offenders

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many persistent young offenders there are.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration’s Annual Report for 2001-02 provides data on the number of young offenders going through the children’s hearings system. The data is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 26838).

Young Offenders

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many persistent young offenders live in residential care units.

Peter Peacock: This information is not held centrally. The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration’s Annual Report for 2001-02 provides data on the number of young offenders going through the children’s hearings system. The data is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 26838).

Young Offenders

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many offences have been committed by persistent young offenders in the last year and how many such offences were committed within residential care units.

Peter Peacock: This information is not held centrally.

Young Offenders

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to increase staffing levels and pay and improve the conditions of staff within residential care units as a means to help reduce offending by persistent young offenders within residential care units.

Peter Peacock: Terms and conditions of employment are matters for local authorities and other employing agencies. Staffing levels are also determined by employers but must be consistent with the requirements of the national care standards.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Parliamentary Travel

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body considered a direct flight from Scotland, in particular from Glasgow Prestwick to Girona, for the recent parliamentary delegation to Catalonia and what the reasons were for not using the Prestwick to Girona route.

Mr Andrew Welsh (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body): A number of options for flights were considered in arranging travel for the parliamentary delegation to Catalonia, including the direct flight from Glasgow Prestwick to Girona. In deciding parliamentary travel arrangements account is taken of price, travel arrangements to and from departure and arrival airports and compatibility with the demands of parliamentary business. In the case of the recent parliamentary delegation from Scotland to Catalonia, the most suitable flights were those from Edinburgh to Barcelona via London.

Parliamentary Travel

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) procurement policy is for travel by members and staff on parliamentary business and whether the SPCB has any plans to review this policy.

Mr Duncan McNeil (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body): The Travel Management contract currently in place was awarded in collaboration with the Scottish Executive. This decision was taken on economic grounds, given the usage of the Scottish Executive in comparison to the Parliament, which would influence pricing proposals.

  The contract was awarded following a competitive tendering exercise in which Carlson Wagonlit Travel submitted the most economically advantageous bid.

  The current contract expires in October 2005 but has the option to be extended up to October 2007. A decision on whether the extension will be taken up will be made late next year, and the Procurement Office will review its policy at this time.